So much for that NaNoWriMo thing. It's been a crazy busy month over here in Kellyland. Between friends visiting, family birthdays, going home to CT, stuff at work, trying to maintain some fragment of a social life and all the other things I volunteer myself to do, I've been a little busy. Sadly, my commitment to writing a post every day has fallen to the wayside. It's probably for the best, though. For once I'm actively trying not to say yes to everything so I won't be tired all the time.

Does that mean I stop baking? Of course not! It seems as though the one thing I can't shake is the baking muse who whispers ideas into my ear at all hours of the evening, leaving me elbows-deep in dough at 11:30 at night, as I try to perfect some baking technique I've never attempted before.

I can't promise that life will get less crazy anytime soon, so I won't tell you that you'll see more frequent posts from me. For now, accept pictures of the pumpkin-bourbon cheesecake I made at 11 o'clock last night as an apology and a pathetic stand-in for a real post.

I've made this before, only this time I added (roughly) 2 tbs of bourbon (I finished off the very cheap bottom-of-the-barrel brand I had on hand for baking) and, in my sleep-deprived, stress-induced stupor, forgot to add the flour. Sans flour, it came out much fluffier than the last time I made it. The top was a failed attempt to make soft caramel sauce with bourbon and pecans. The texture resembled more of a pecan brittle than the languidly gooey layer of caramel I initially envisioned. If brittle's your thing, great. If you've got an actual recipe for caramel topping and you follow the rules and don't just play with sugar in the microwave at work, you're a better baker than I. I applaud you. Get down with your baking self.